Rule for protection of information in court records proposed

The CCAP Steering Committee has proposed an amendment to court rules to protect certain personal identifiers and financial account numbers, in order to preserve personal privacy and lessen exposure to identity theft. Lawyers and self-represented litigants would be required to redact social security numbers, bank account numbers, and similar information from documents filed with the court or submit it on a confidential form.

Counties and case types enabled for eFiling

Each county circuit court makes an individual decision about when to offer eFiling, based on factors such as staffing and equipment resources. Eventually electronic filing will be available for all case types in all counties.

County

Civil

Family

Paternity

Small claims

Barron

Buffalo

Burnett

Calumet

Chippewa

Clark

Columbia

Dodge

Dunn

Eau Claire

Florence

Jefferson

Kenosha

La Crosse

Manitowoc

Milwaukee

Outagamie

Ozaukee

Pierce

Portage

Racine

St. Croix

Taylor

Trempealeau

Washburn

Washington

Waukesha

Winnebago

Wood

* eFiling is not currently available for garnishments, TROs and injunctions

Background

Each county circuit court makes an individual decision about when to offer eFiling, based on factors such as staffing and equipment resources. Eventually electronic filing will be available for all case types in all counties.

Use of the circuit court system is voluntary for attorneys and self-represented litigants; those who choose not to participate may continue to use paper. Electronically filed documents can be viewed only by the attorneys or parties to the case and will not be available on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) website. Electronic signatures will be provided for attorneys, self-represented parties and court officials.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has created Wis. Stats. § 801.17 authorizing electronic filing, effective July 1, 2008. The court has also created Supreme Court Rule §70.42, authorizing the use of electronic signatures by court officials.

About the technology

The technology for this project is similar to electronic filing systems used by the federal courts and other state courts. Documents are filed through a secure website and integrated into the existing case management system. Electronic filing is expected to provide quicker filing and service, reduced reliance on paper files, reduced data entry and improved accuracy.